Dancing Along the Parallel Lines
by crazygirlne
Summary: After five years of having been able to see the Doctor occasionally in her dreams, Rose's connection to her original world finally seems to be severed. Now, she and Tentoo are embarking on their first adventure as a newly-married couple: their honeymoon. Second story in the Parallel Lines series.
1. Doctor and Rose Tyler

_Author's Note: This is a sequel to Coloring Within the Parallel Lines. I recommend you read that one first, but if you want to start here instead, know that the Doctor and Rose have met this world's Jack Harkness._

_This story picks up roughly where the last one left off, at the Doctor and Rose's wedding. I plan for much fluff and some adventure, because really, when don't the Doctor and Rose attract trouble?_

_This is my edited version for this site. I have a more adult version at A Teaspoon and an Open Mind under crazygirlne. As a warning, this first chapter does include their wedding night; however, I removed anything I thought crossed lines into M, keeping some of the scene because it is necessary to understand their mental bond._

* * *

Chapter One: Doctor and Rose Tyler

As the Doctor spun her, Rose laughed, her wedding dress flaring around her ankles. He brought her close again, and they swayed gently, no space between the newly married pair's bodies.

"I'll go wherever you will go," he sang along quietly into his bride's ear. The Doctor pulled back just far enough to look Rose in the eye. "Jack picked the song list, right?"

"Yeah," replied Rose with a smile. "Bit of a romantic, Jack is. He begged Mum to let him. Though," she added with a chuckle, "I think she only made him talk her into it so she could drool at him for longer."

She took a look around the small dance floor, seeing Jackie dancing contentedly with Pete while Jack was dancing with one of the servers, who was giggling at something he said. Rose was amazed at how similar this Jack was to the first one she'd met, and she frequently had trouble remembering they didn't share all of the same memories.

Rose looked back at her husband and grinned.

"We're _married_, Doctor!" she said.

His returning smile was just as big as hers.

"Oh, yes," he said enthusiastically, moving in for a kiss.

"Hey, get a room!" came Jack's voice, amusement evident.

"I intend to," the Doctor said in a low voice before kissing his wife slowly, passionately, with just a hint of the playfulness that Rose associated with the Doctor.

Breathless, she asked, "Can we get that room now?"

Before the Doctor could respond, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"May I cut in?" asked Pete. "I get the feeling you'll be leaving soon, and I don't want to miss out on my dance. Plus, Doctor, I think Jackie'd like a turn with you," he added, nodding toward his wife.

The Doctor took a deep, fortifying breath.

"It's my pleasure," he said, kissing Rose lightly on the hand before walking toward Jackie, body language reflecting that of a man walking toward his execution.

Rose giggled before turning to Pete for their dance. The music had changed to Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," and Rose glanced at Jack, who stood next to the extravagant sound system. He winked at her in an exaggerated way before leading the pretty server out of the reception hall, presumably to find a room for himself.

Rose laughed again and looked at the man who she considered her father.

"I know I wasn't there when you were born or when you were growing up," said Pete seriously, "but I do think of you as my daughter, and I couldn't be any prouder of the woman you've grown up to be."

She was slightly teary when she replied.

"I'm so glad you didn't die in this world," she said as they continued dancing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jackie dragging the Doctor around the dance floor, talking constantly. Rose laughed again.

"Mum is, too," she added.

Pete looked at his wife with the expression he reserved for her alone, a mix of adoration and exasperation.

"She's one of a kind, your mother, even if I've been married to two of her," he said.

He looked back to his daughter.

"You make sure that new husband of yours treats you right, or I'm pretty sure Jackie will make sure he disappears." He shuddered slightly. "I'm very sure she's more scary than any alien threat I've had to deal with through Torchwood, when she wants to be."

They finished the rest of the dance in a comfortable silence, Rose lost in thoughts of how lucky she was, surrounded by her small family and now married to the part-human she loved the most.

When the song was over, the same part-human who so often occupied her thoughts came to retrieve her.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, looking only a little disheveled after his dance with Jackie, "despite the excessive number of flowers and the entire rooms booked for just ten people, Jackie really did do a good job of putting this together."

He blinked and looked a little panicked when he realized he'd complemented Jackie without prompting, though they really did get along much better than they once had. Rose smiled at him.

"So," she said, making sure the Doctor was the only one who could hear her, "I think it's time for us to get out of here, yeah?"

When the Doctor took in the look on Rose's face, his own appearance shifted from panicked to hungry and focused.

"I think you might be right. Well, of course you're right. You're brilliant!" he replied with the grin Rose associated with that statement. "Allons-y!"

O~O~O~O~O~O

After saying their goodbyes (it took a while to find Jack, who, when he turned up, was missing both a tie and a shoe), the Doctor and Rose left the reception, the Doctor driving their car back to their relatively new house. The two were staying at their own home tonight before leaving in the morning for their honeymoon, the location of which was still a surprise for Rose.

"Jack sure doesn't waste any time," remarked Rose.

"Of course not," said the Doctor, amused. "He wouldn't be Jack if he did. Speaking of Jack," he continued, "he said I should tell you to look in the glove box."

"Alright," said Rose, hesitantly reaching for the glove box to open it.

When it opened, Rose gasped and then laughed.

"What is it?" asked the Doctor, watching the road.

"Condoms," said Rose. "There must be hundreds of them."

They spent the rest of the drive home chuckling over the variety and discussing their options, with the Doctor tossing in information about the history of condoms and about various alien equivalents.

"Really?" asked Rose as they arrived at their TARDIS-blue house. "Over their heads?"

"Well," said the Doctor, "That's where the applicable organs are located. Of course, since they breathe through orifices on their head just like we do, they celebrate being, erm, quick."

The Doctor got out of the car and opened Rose's door.

"Mrs. Tyler," he said, bowing and gesturing toward the house.

Rose got out of the car.

"I'm not gonna get used to that," she said. "I love that you're Doctor Tyler, that we can introduce ourselves as 'Doctor and Rose Tyler' and still be correct with your alias and all, but 'Mrs. Tyler' is my mum."

As they reached the door, the Doctor scooped her into his arms, carrying her into their home. He shut the door without putting her down and continued further into the house, his destination obvious as he made his way up the stairs.

"Well then," he said in a low voice, "I can always just call you 'mine.'"

Rose buried her face into the Doctor's neck, finding herself suddenly nervous. It wasn't like it was their first time having sex (far from it; really, really far from it), but this would still be a first for them: first time as husband and wife, and first time trying to merge their minds. From the Doctor's explanations, this was likely to change their lovemaking considerably, if it worked.

"Tell me again how it works, Doctor?" she asked as he carried her into their room and placed Rose gently on the bed, the Doctor visibly marveling at the sight of her in her wedding dress, in the bed they shared.

"Well," he said as he positioned himself next to her and she turned to face him, "First, I'm going to help you relax. We might be able to figure out a way to do that."

The Doctor winked at Rose suggestively, briefly reminding her of Jack. She suppressed a giggle.

"Then," he continued, moving his fingers so they lightly skimmed her temple, "I'll move my hands here, and I'll try making contact. If this works, we shouldn't need physical touch after tonight if we want to share thoughts or feelings."

"After I initiate the bond, we should start receiving thoughts, pictures, and feelings from each other. I'll teach you how to create barriers for some privacy after the link is established, but not tonight. Tonight, my dear wife, we aren't going to have any barriers between us at all."

Rose, feeling decidedly less nervous and more desperate from just the tone in his voice, felt this was starting much too slowly.

"Take your clothes off," she said, the hint of a growl in her words as she sat up to do the same with her dress.

Unfortunately, she got a bit tangled during the removal process.

She made a frustrated sound as she realized she was stuck, the dress pinning her arms above her head and completely obscuring her vision. She heard the Doctor chuckle.

"Can't have that, now, can we?" he asked, and she could hear him moving to help. "I'm the one who's newer to being human, you know, so I probably should have taken longer to undress, but here I am, naked before you. Did you know that in some cultures, the male of the species first has to shed. . ."

"Doctor," interrupted Rose, "Is this really the time?"

She tried again to wriggle out of the dress and managed to fall instead, landing on her back on the bed.

"Hmmm," said the Doctor contemplatively, "I suppose not."

"Doctor," she breathed, "Aren't you going to help me get this thing off?"

"Of course, Rose," he replied.

After working hard to relax her, he resumed kissing her passionately. He slowed their kiss after a few minutes, moving a hand to her temple.

"May I?" he asked, his voice rough with emotion and lust.

"Please," said Rose, looking into his eyes.

She felt a gentle pressure in her mind. After a moment, she had the impression of the Doctor's mind leaning into hers, pushing firmly without forcing. Then, he was in.

Rose moaned involuntarily as she registered his need before she focused back on the sensations in her mind. Her first thought was that it wasn't too dissimilar to her previous dreams of the Doctor; she could feel what he was feeling, and, if she focused, she could see what he saw, too.

_"Okay, Rose,"_ she heard in her mind, _"To talk to me like this, just focus on what feels like me and imagine telling me what you want to hear."_

_"Doctor,"_ she sent back, _"This feels good. We feel so close."_

"And it gets even better," he said out loud before kissing her thoroughly again.

In her mind, or in their shared minds, as it felt, a barrier lifted. Suddenly, all she could see was the Doctor. She relived his past, seeing his memories and feeling them, and she knew, somehow, he was seeing her life, too. When the images stopped, she opened the eyes she hadn't noticed closing and looked at her husband.

"Hello," he said with a grin. "That worked well. Probably because of the…"

Rose silenced him with a heated kiss.

They continued in this fashion, coming together in every way possible, sharing their love for each other without reservation.

_"Well, that was mind blowing,"_ thought the Doctor so she could hear after a moment, and Rose laughed at the bad pun.

He relaxed beside her and maneuvered them under the covers, pulling Rose close to him as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, my wife," he said, echoing the same into her mind.

Rose sighed contentedly.

"I love you," she told him, closing her own eyes.

"I love you, too, Rose Tyler," he responded as they drifted off, each conscious of the unique and comforting sensation that was the light mental touch of the other's presence.

* * *

_A/N: I'm aiming for updating once a week this time instead of once a day; I'm not on vacation anymore, so finding that much time to write just won't work. Feedback of any sort is always welcome!_


	2. Onward and Upward

_Author's Note: Rose and the Doctor leave for their honeymoon and explore their new methods of communication._

_The update is earlier than the once-a-week I'd planned, so I'm not going to set a time expectation for the next chapter. I will post at least once a week, but if I get the next chapter polished and ready before then, you get to read it early ;)_

_Thanks to those who reviewed! One of my favorite authors on here responds to reviews at the end of the next chapter, so I might have to start doing that because I think it's fun :)_

_Standard Disclaimer: I own no part of Doctor Who._

* * *

Chapter Two: Onward and Upward

After many years of attempting to adjust to early mornings, Rose had finally stopped trying; she just wasn't a morning person and wasn't ever going to be. The Doctor, on the other hand, was a very early riser, especially since he still didn't need quite as much sleep as an average human.

Rose shouldn't have been surprised, then, to be woken up at an unreasonably early hour to start their honeymoon.

"Rose," she heard, her husband's voice excited, eager. "We need to get started."

Rose snuggled further under the covers, and she felt the Doctor climb onto the bed to start bouncing.

_"Rose,"_ she heard again, a mental prompting this time rather than an audible one.

She sighed but smiled, waking more quickly at the feelings of excitement she was now receiving from the Doctor. She opened her eyes and turned toward him. He beamed in response.

"Hello," he said, and feelings of love and adoration washed over her.

"Hello," she replied, sending her own feelings of sleepy contentment back to him.

"We need to get going if we're going to make it in time for our flight." He took a moment to consult an imaginary wristwatch. "We have about half an hour if you want to shower first, and I'll get your coffee. I know you aren't good at staying awake without your shower and your coffee, and I want to be sure you stay awake. We've got a lot to see and a lot to do, and I need to show you how to place and control your own shields, and we should probably experiment to determine our telepathic range, and…"

He stopped as Rose used that telepathy to caress him.

"Care to join me in the shower, Doctor?" she asked.

"Well," said the Doctor, "I think that might be a little counterproductive to getting clean. Of course, there are whole planets that consider cleanliness to be having gone at least a week without bathing…"

Rose interrupted before he could get carried away, sending him an image of herself on her knees in front of him in the shower. The Doctor swallowed, hard.

O~O~O~O~O~O

After their shared shower, Rose and the Doctor dressed quickly and made it to the airport just in time. They arrived at their gate as the zeppelin was boarding, and they took their seats as the doors were closing.

First class seats in the zeppelin were impressive, with a private room and seats that could be converted into beds for longer flights. There was no window to the outside, but the rooms were valued for their comfort for sleep and privacy. The newlyweds had one of these rooms to themselves, and the Doctor broached the subject of their mental communication as soon as they were alone.

"So," he explained, already in full-on lecture mode, "I've never heard of a part-Time Lord bonding with a mostly-human, of course, but based on our initial encounter, I can speculate, and then we can test those suspected limits, possibly expanding on them eventually. We will be able to communicate fully and easily when in physical contact." He took her hand as he continued. "We'll be able to share images, memories, words, feelings. When we are close but not touching, such as when we're in the same room, we should still be able to send words, but anything with a visual element will be more difficult, if not impossible. Feelings should reach the farthest, though I'm less certain of the applicable limits than I am for the other aspects of our telepathic bond. Within the same building, certainly, but probably not more than a quarter mile. Our connection itself, though, that feeling of 'me' that's in the back of your mind, that shouldn't go away as long as we're in the same dimension. It will be muted if we are in different times, which will probably be a bit uncomfortable, honestly, so once we get the TARDIS going, no solo trips unless it's an emergency of sorts."

He paused, studying Rose.

"Being able to send sensations, well, I'm not really sure how far that can reach. It isn't something I experimented with nearly as much."

The Doctor released her hand and placed a phantom kiss on her lips.

"I might like testing that one," said Rose with a smile before leaning over to give him a real kiss.

The Doctor returned it for a few moments before pulling away slightly, clearing his throat.

"Right," he continued, "We don't actually have all that long on this flight. I want to be sure you can manage your mental shields. I don't know whether we will encounter another telepath in our immediate future, but in the meantime, as much as I like being able to feel everything that you do, I suspect you might be upset with me should I inadvertently pick up on something you didn't intend for me to. I'd really like to avoid giving you a reason to show me that your slap is as good as Jackie's."

The Doctor rubbed his cheek almost absentmindedly.

"Okay," said Rose. "What do I need to do?"

The Doctor looked as excited as if Rose had just told him he was going to get a banana milkshake.

"Fantastic!" he said, reminding her briefly of her first Doctor. He took her hand again, saying, "Touch will make this easier to explain. Close your eyes, and focus on yourself, your essence."

Rose closed her eyes and frowned in concentration, trying to follow his directions.

"I'm not sure how to do that, Doctor," she said after a moment in which nothing happened.

"Try focusing on me instead. I know you're good as that already," he said, and Rose could practically hear the wink in his voice.

She focused on the presence she'd quickly been able to associate with him. Suddenly, she was in a room, the Doctor standing next to her.

_"Hello,"_ he sent along with a smile and a feeling of pleasure, with just a hint of surprise.

His mental image then frowned slightly.

_"And that is exactly why we need barriers sometimes,"_ he said, a pouty tone in his voice. _"You're upset with me because I was surprised. And I wasn't even very surprised; I already know you're brilliant. Tell you often enough, don't I?"_

Before Rose could respond, the Doctor continued.

_"This is the room in which my essence lives, so to speak. We're going to create one of these for you. Then, when you want to share something, you sort of open a door to it. This will take some effort at first when we're not actively sharing minds, but it becomes automatic. Right now, I'm going to focus on your essence. I will share this with you, and it should make it easier for you to find yourself."_

Rose felt his attention shift, and the walls of the room began to blur. She could feel another room forming in its place, if something could be called a room when it had no walls. This area, though, had a different feel to it than the Doctor's did. Rose felt optimism, love, and wonder, along with some of the traits she tried to ignore, such as jealousy and tendency toward boredom.

_"This is your space,"_ said the Doctor, _"and now we're going to erect some walls. I want you to visualise…"_

Before he could finish explaining what to do, pink walls had been erected around them.

_"Molto bene!"_ said the Doctor, pride radiating from him. _"Now, your feelings will be in here by default. When we're sharing minds and visualizations as we are now, barriers for feelings won't really work, but when we return to our physical bodies, the barriers should remain in place. You can still send feelings the same way I showed you last night, by focusing on me and on the feeling. If you want to share a memory or an image, we'll need to be in physical contact, and then you will open a door while picturing what you want to share. It's all fairly simple, in theory, and it just takes a bit of practice and discipline to avoid thinking about the very thing you don't want to share instead of the one you do."_

"Now, open your eyes," she heard, out loud this time.

Before immediately following his directions, she sent a focused wave of love and desire. When she opened her eyes, she saw the same emotions reflected in his eyes.

"You really are a natural at this," he said. "I wonder whether the dreams might have prepared you better for it than I'd have otherwise expected. Most humans are not naturally receptive to telepathy, of course, which is why I didn't experiment immediately. I didn't allow myself to even hope that I could share my mind with you, dark and damaged as it feels sometimes. You bring out the good in me, Rose. Always have. Wellll," he added, "sometimes you bring out the jealousy in me, which doesn't always present in the best ways."

She silenced him again with a kiss.

"That really is my favorite way for you to interrupt me, Rose. Though I'm starting to feel like it's the only reason you kiss me," he said with a sniff.

Rose grinned.

"So, Doctor, can you tell me where we're going now? And how did you manage to get the airline to remove the destination signs at the airport?" she asked, a touch of exasperation in her voice. "You've been keeping this a secret for a month!"

"And why would I want to ruin the surprise now when I've been working so hard on it?" he said, a mock wounded look on his face. "I even consulted your mother on what might give it away. She's got a devious mind on her, when she wants to. Not very subtle, mind you, but I wasn't trying to hide the fact that I was hiding something, just trying to hide the thing."

Rose couldn't be very upset with her pleased-looking husband.

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "Can I at least know how much longer we have on the flight?"

"I suppose," said the Doctor, consulting his naked wrist for the time. "We should be starting our descent in about ten point three minutes."

"Right," said Rose, excited they would be arriving soon. "You really are glad you kept your sense of time, aren't you?"

"Of course!" replied the Doctor. "How else would I manage to get us everywhere 34 point eight minutes late? I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

Rose blinked and laughed.

"But we don't end up anywhere 34 point eight minutes late," she said, still chuckling.

"Ah," said the Doctor, tone full of importance, "But I _could_, if we wanted to."

Rose glanced at her own watch, though she wasn't sure why she still wore it when the Doctor was always around with his perfect sense of time. Then again, maybe that was exactly why she did wear it.

"Doctor! It's been almost three hours since we got on this flight," Rose shared in her surprise.

"Yup!" said the Doctor, "Though I really should have taken your watch since that narrows down where we could have gone. Don't want to ruin the surprise, after all."

"Did we lose time when we were, what did you call it, visualizing?" Rose asked, trying to understand how hours had passed in what felt like minutes.

"Well," said the Doctor, "Time in our minds is rather subjective and difficult to predict. Sometimes it passes more quickly, sometimes more slowly, rather like in a dream. It does always pass, though. Unless, of course, we're in the time vortex, but zeppelins don't typically pass through the time vortex. Oh, can you imagine?"

Before Rose could decide on a response,an announcement came over the speaker system informing the passengers they were about to land in Venice, which was sunny and 7 degrees celsius, 45 fahrenheit. Rose gasped as the Doctor pouted.

"Venice, Doctor?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that! But yes. Well, no. Or both." He ran a hand through his hair. "We're about to land in Venice, but after your dream about the fishy vampires? That's really not our final destination, just in case."

He smiled at her, disappointment fading some.

"We've got a train next, and then a bus before we get to where we are going."

Rose smiled, forgetting her slight impatience. Her favorite times always were when she and the Doctor were at the start of a new adventure, unknowns in place, ready to explore. She sent him a wave of her excitement, happiness, and contentment, and his smile grew in return, becoming more genuine.

"That's the spirit, Rose! It's an adventure. We're," he paused as the zeppelin came to a stop with a gentle bump. "We're here!"

O~O~O~O~O~O

After an uneventful transfer from the airport to the train station, Rose napped between Venice and Pordenone, where they planned to switch to a bus. Since she was asleep, the ride went quickly for her, contentedly nestled in the Doctor's arms as best the seats allowed. Finally, after they changed to a bus whose destination the Doctor managed to keep Rose from hearing while he spoke in fluent, enthusiastic Italian, Rose studied her surroundings. They seemed to be approaching some rather large mountains as they passed through pretty little towns, busy with people walking, biking, and driving, the towns decorated for the Christmas holiday that was fast approaching.

Resolving not to keep asking the Doctor where they were going, Rose kept conversation to what she saw around her, and the Doctor happily filled any gaps in her knowledge. After a while, their bus started up a mountain.

"Welcome to the Dolomites, Rose! They're just a part of the Alps, though not the best known part. This time of year, there's usually snow on the peaks and in some of the valleys. We'll have to go to Lake Barcis. It's a gorgeous blue-green that is usually reserved for the tropics."

The Doctor continued, explaining the reasons behind the color, when the lake was created, what towns were nearby.

"And here we are," he said as the bus slowed, approaching a traffic circle.

In front of the circle was a sign that proudly welcomed them to Piancavallo. The town looked as if it belonged on a postcard. Picturesque buildings were decorated with Christmas lights, and mountain peaks served as the backdrop, the setting sun shining lightly on the snow.

"It's a postcard-worthy town for our uneventfully eventful honeymoon, Rose," the Doctor said happily. "Skiing, sledding, breakfast in bed, and nothing that could possibly go wrong."

* * *

_A/N: I lived in northern Italy for a few years and thought it would be a great place for a honeymoon. Piancavallo at Christmas was beautiful._

_I very much appreciate reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: Thank you! "Squee" is exactly the sound I made when I saw your review. And then I bragged to my husband about it._

_WhovianTitanPotter: I hope this next chapter didn't disappoint!_

_HpGwperfect: Many of my favorite books have telepathic characters, so I love having the excuse to write with them!_


	3. Could You Say that Again?

_Author's Note: I am actually looking for a beta, partially to help catch any typos that might sneak through and primarily to help me make sure my story doesn't get confused in the translation from brain to written word. I need someone who isn't afraid to tell me if something doesn't make sense or isn't in character._

_Did I mention there would be fluff? There is fluff. This chapter is a little short, but it ends where it told me it needed to end :)_

* * *

Chapter Three: Could You Say that Again?

The next morning, Rose stood at the window of their room in a small bed and breakfast, admiring the view. The two had slept well the night before, and the Doctor was finishing up in the bathroom before they set out on their first "uneventfully eventful" day. Rose was fairly certain that the Doctor had already jinxed them by saying nothing could go wrong. However, she was willing to cut him some slack since he'd let her sleep in a bit that morning.

"Rose!" came the Doctor's panicked voice from the en-suite bath they'd paid extra for.

Rose rushed in to join him, opening the door expecting to see… Well, she wasn't sure what she'd expected to see, but it certainly wasn't the Doctor studying his hair in the mirror, which is what was in front of her when she came to an abrupt halt just inside the door.

"What is it, Doctor?" she asked, a little concerned and a little confused.

"Look, Rose! Just look!" the Doctor sounded distraught.

Rose, on the other hand, had to work to contain a laugh when she realized what he was upset about; he was pulling at the few grey hairs she'd noticed on him several weeks back.

"Look at what, Doctor?" she asked, careful to maintain a neutral tone.

"My hair! It's grey!" he said, flabbergasted. "What with us living longer and all, I thought for sure I wouldn't go grey for, oh, at least a decade, but look at it!"

Rose walked the few steps over to him and took his face in her hands, turning him away from the mirror to face her. She made a show of studying the tiny grey patch before looking into his eyes, sending a wave of affection toward him.

"I think you look dashing," she told him, planting a kiss on his lips.

"'Dashing?'" replied the Doctor, glancing in the mirror before looking back at his wife. "Of course I'm dashing, but now I look old!"

He sniffed sadly, frowning.

"You don't look old," Rose insisted, allowing some of her attraction for him to show through. "Besides, an old man wouldn't have picked somewhere this cold for our honeymoon."

"It isn't too cold here, Rose. Above freezing even! Well, a little. I mean, it's not tropical, certainly, but I thought you would appreciate the beauty of it. Anyway, cold just gives us even more of a reason to stop to warm up."

The Doctor leaned down to give her a kiss, and Rose, happy to have distracted him from his hair, if only momentarily, returned the kiss enthusiastically. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

After a minute or so, Rose pulled back.

"I love it here," she informed him, "and I would love anywhere you took me. We're on our honeymoon," she said, smile growing, "and we're going to enjoy it, yeah?"

"Yup!" said the Doctor as he led her back out of the bathroom, though not, Rose noticed, without one more glance at his reflection.

"Well," she felt the need to clarify, "we might not enjoy everywhere. Slime planets, active dungeons, a tax office…"

"Your mother's house," the Doctor finished with a cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Rose, I wouldn't pick anywhere too difficult for our first adventure as a married couple."

"So, what's first for today?" she asked, eager to leave the room and see what he did have planned.

"First," he replied, "is exploration. I thought we could get out, walk around, see the sights, stop for lunch since you slept almost all the way to lunch time. Then we could try out some of the winter sports, if you'd like, or we can go see somewhere else nearby. Whatever we want, Rose," he finished with a grin, "is exactly what's on the itinerary."

"It's only ten," protested Rose weakly and a little belatedly. "I didn't sleep until lunch time. But your plan sounds lovely," she added, kissing him again.

After dressing in suitably warm clothes, the two left, wandering the town until they found somewhere that smelled good enough to try for lunch. After a fairly simple meal of paninis and orange Fanta, they started walking again.

"Tomorrow," explained the Doctor as they strolled, hands joined and swinging gently, "we're scheduled for a bus ride to a local winery that promises plenty of free samples. I've got guidebooks back in the room, a dozen of them, in several languages since sometimes different cultures take note of different activities, and most of them suggest the winery. The next day, I thought we could go hiking, or maybe go see Lake Barcis if you'd rather not hike in snow. It isn't very snowy in town, but the best places to hike nearby get a good deal more snow than we're seeing right now. That's because of the…"

"How long are we here, Doctor?" Rose stopped him mid-explanation to ask.

"Well, that depends on how long you want to be," he said, smiling, that contagious grin that Rose could never resist returning. "We're not expected back at Torchwood for a month. Our room here is only booked for a week, but they've assured me we can add at least one more week if we want it. And at some point, I'd like to check out some of the stories the locals at the trattoria were talking about. There are all sorts of fantastic stories going around the rumor mill here. Pets going missing, small portions of crops going missing nearby, odd sightings. Nothing serious, but we should try to help if we can, of course. Not that we'll be able to help with the more, erm, domestic rumors, of course. And we still need to test out our bond limits. That will take some time, too. So really, we're here as long as we want."

Rose looked adoringly at the man she'd married.

"I haven't the faintest idea how you talk so much," she teased him. "It's probably why you're still so skinny; you don't stop talking long enough to eat."

"Oi!" replied the Doctor, assuming a wounded look. "I eat plenty. It's probably all the exercise you force me to do in bed that keeps the weight off."

Rose laughed.

"Yeah, I'm rather demanding, aren't I?" she said with a wink.

"Oh, yes," he said in a low voice that tingled down to her toes. "Ah," said the Doctor, looking around them, "We're here."

They'd reached a ski resort. Family activities were visible from the road, including a playground of sorts, sledding, and the smaller ski slopes. The couple made their way to the lodge and rented a pair of skis each, the Doctor taking the time to explain how the different shapes affected how the snow moved under them and choosing what he thought would be the fastest pair available to him. Rose, meanwhile, chose the pair that stood out to her rather than trying to make a logical decision regarding something she knew little of.

"Don't worry," said the Doctor as they took a lift to one of the beginner hills. "Even if I get to the bottom before you every time down, I'll wait for you before I get back on the lift."

Rose rolled her eyes good-naturedly as they exited the lift and made their way toward the start of the hill, the Doctor "graciously" allowing Rose to go ahead of him.

"Oooomph," she heard from behind her before getting to the start of the slope. She looked back to see that the Doctor had gotten his skis tangled and had managed to land on his butt in the snow.

Rose couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You went down so fast, Doctor, that I didn't even see you."

As the Doctor maneuvered his way back to an upright position, he said, "This pair may be defective."

Their skiing was uneventful for a while as they adjusted to the beginner slopes and moved to some of the intermediate ones. Rose's pace was steady and even, with the Doctor having a tendency to shoot past her and off the path slightly, coming to a complete stop before resuming the correct route down the mountain. Of course, he insisted this was all intentional.

Eventually, they agreed to try one last slope before stopping for the day.

"I'm going to get down the hill first this time," declared the Doctor, determination in his voice.

"Oh yeah?" said Rose, rising to the challenge. "And what do I get when I win?"

The Doctor thought for a moment.

"I suppose five quid isn't enough?" he asked.

"Nope," replied Rose. "Let's make it something more interesting. How about," she continued, "the last one down the hill has to sing a Christmas carol at the front desk of the bed and breakfast?"

"Nah," said the Doctor. "We can do better than that. The person who finishes last not only has to sing the Christmas carol," he proposed, "but she also has to give the winner a full-body massage once back in the room."

"Happy ending?" asked Rose, eyebrow arched.

"Negotiable," said the Doctor, looking determined.

By this time, they'd reached the top of the new slope, which was sparsely populated as the daylight hours were running out.

"I'll need dinner before my massage," she informed her husband as they prepared to start.

"I think you're confused, Rose. You need dinner before _my_ massage," he replied.

She laughed, enjoying herself immensely.

"Ready?" she asked. At his nod, she continued. "Three, two, one, go!"

They started down the slope, Rose taking an early lead. She looked back briefly and saw the Doctor in less-packed snow, slowing slightly. She grinned and turned back to face the direction she was going, only to find herself falling into a long, dark, steep tunnel.

She landed roughly at the bottom, breath knocked from her lungs, but she was pretty sure she was otherwise uninjured until she stood; her left ankle wouldn't quite support her weight.

"Doctor?" she called as she took in her surroundings in the dim light. She appeared to be in a small cave of sorts, with the sloped tunnel leading in and one other, less-steep tunnel leading away from the larger space the cave provided.

_"Rose?"_ she heard the mental call and responded in kind.

_"Doctor! I fell. I'm alright, mostly, but I don't think I can get back up. Can you go for help?"_ she asked.

_"I'm coming down,"_ she heard instead, receiving mixed emotions that combined to create an impression of a refusal to be separated.

Before she could argue, she heard clothing sliding on snow, and the Doctor came abruptly out of the same tunnel through which Rose had arrived. Having removed his skis ahead of time, the Doctor appeared entirely unhurt.

The Doctor gave Rose a look and pulled her into a large hug.

"You really are jeopardy friendly, aren't you?" he said with just a trace of humor before pulling back to look around.

"Well," he said as he finished his initial assessment of their current location, "this wasn't in the guide books."

* * *

_A/N: I seem unable to keep from writing daily. Whoops._

_Reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: More for you! Your reviews totally make my day :) I hope you're still enjoying it! My next few days are actually pretty packed, so it could be weekend before I get to post again._


	4. Take a Look Around You

_Author's Note: *sigh* eventually I'll be able to resist posting early. In the meantime, nobody minds that I'm posting days sooner than expected, right?_

_This story is now beta'd by the lovely HpGwperfect!_

_Standard Disclaimer: If it has been on Doctor Who, it isn't mine._

* * *

Chapter Four: Take a Look Around You

_"Well," he said as he finished his initial assessment of their current location, "this wasn't in the guide books."_

The Doctor looked back at Rose.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hands still on her upper arms.

"Yeah," said Rose, "except I think I twisted something in my ankle. I can't really put my weight on it. Doesn't hurt much when I'm not on it, though, so don't think I broke anything this time."

"Sit down so I can take a look," said the Doctor, leading her to a wall of the small cavern so she could lean against it.

She watched him as he helped her sit before gently examining her left ankle. After five years of being almost as human as she was, he still didn't react well when she was injured or sick. He tended to retreat into physician mode at these times, acting more like a typical doctor than like the Doctor she loved.

"It's a bit swollen," he told her. "Can I see how far you can move it in a circle?"

Rose complied, trying to hide her wince as she did so.

"I don't think it's broken," said the Doctor, retrieving his sonic screwdriver and activating it toward the injured portion of her leg. "Almost definitely not broken, but I don't think you'll be able to put enough weight on it to get back up the way we came, even with the sonic encouraging healing. The opening isn't wide enough for me to carry you up, either."

He removed his scarf and wrapped it firmly around her ankle, limiting movement without affecting circulation.

"This should keep the injury from getting any worse," he explained. "You could have a torn ligament, and we don't want to irritate it further if that's the case."

He stood up and looked down at Rose.

"We're losing light quickly," he said. "I can give us a bit of light with the sonic, but it won't shine far. Blue is not the best color to have in this situation. It is going to reflect in a way that makes it harder to see, harder for our eyes to adjust. Plus, it's just not all that bright, being designed for manipulation via sound, not light projection."

Rose sighed. Even though she too-often tuned out or interrupted the Doctor's explanations, she genuinely enjoyed watching him during them, seeing his excitement and joy of knowledge, hearing it in his voice. Not much sent him into this emotional hibernation; he was nowhere near as broody as his Time Lord counterpart could be. Still, he was so different when he was like this that it was hard for her to adjust, more so since they became involved in any sort of official way.

At Rose's sigh, the Doctor had knelt back down to check her ankle.

"Did I wrap it too tight?" he asked.

"No," Rose replied. "It's good. Are you alright, Doctor?"

"I'm always alright," he answered, standing up again.

Rose reached up and took his hand, using their physical contact to allow her better use of their bond. She instinctively leaned her mind into his, but she was surprised to encounter a barrier.

"Rose," said the Doctor, emotions still restrained, "it's not a nice place in there right now. Just… just give me a few minutes, please?"

Rose withdrew her mental presence and nodded. Their hands still joined, the Doctor took hold more firmly and helped Rose carefully to her feet, wrapping her in a tight hug. She could hear his single heartbeat, a little louder and faster than it usually was.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, chin resting on her head as he held her. "I still don't like thinking about the fact that I could lose you. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, together, that's how it should be. When I couldn't find you, and then you were down here, hurt… I'm sorry, I just didn't react well. Too many years of protecting myself, not letting myself feel for the people I'm with in that way, knowing they'll leave me eventually. But not you, Rose. Even when I tried, I could never keep you out, not for long, and I don't really want to try anymore. It's just that old habits can be hard to break."

At that, Rose felt his mental presence merging with hers, and she was flooded by waves of love and reassurance, worry and regret.

_"I love you, Doctor,"_ she sent, reinforcing it with her own emotions of love, trust, support, and understanding before adding firmly, _"but you can't shut me out like that again, yeah? We're partners, not traveling companions."_

The Doctor squeezed Rose more tightly for a moment before pulling back again, far enough to touch his lips to hers, gently, at first, then with increased firmness and passion.

"You're too good for me, Rose," said the Doctor when their kiss finally ended. Rose was pleased to hear that while his words were still a little on the pouty side, his tone was closer to his normal one.

"We're good for each other," she returned firmly, kissing him once more, briefly.

During their exchange, Rose and the Doctor had lost what little indirect sunlight remained. Rose, though, felt it was worth it to have gotten the Doctor back out of his shell.

The Doctor squinted and frowned, and Rose realized that a little bit of light was still present, though it wasn't coming from either tunnel. Instead, the cave itself seemed to be glowing subtly. It certainly wasn't enough light to do anything requiring detail work in, but she could see the Doctor's face, and she thought they'd probably be able to see well enough to navigate the second tunnel, whose destination was still an unknown.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the nearest wall, one arm loosely wrapped around Rose for support. After a moment, he looked at the tool in his hand.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, voice full of his normal enthusiasm. "Bioluminescence. That shouldn't be here, though. It isn't something that we should find in this region. I wonder how it got here."

He continued speculating. Rose let him, enjoying his excitement and returning his manic grin with one of her own. As he spoke, Rose noticed she was getting warm.

"Doctor," she asked, "can the, um, bioluminescence make it warmer in here? Cause I'm not cold like I think I should be."

"Well, no, I shouldn't think so," replied the Doctor, a thoughtful frown on his face. "They aren't producing enough light to possibly give off heat as a side-effect."

He reached out a hand and touched the wall.

"The walls aren't any warmer than the air around them." The Doctor knelt, then spoke, excited again: "It's the floor, Rose! It's warm, actually radiating heat. So many things could be causing it, but none of them make much sense. I suppose, if I had to guess, I'd wager that we've got geothermically heated groundwater under us. I'm not aware of any hot springs in the area, but perhaps I missed something. Unlikely, but it's possible. Or maybe it just doesn't have an outlet around here."

The Doctor stopped. He looked at Rose and he looked at each tunnel in turn.

"I don't think we'll be able to get you back up the tunnel we entered from without help," he said, "and we won't be able to get help until morning, likely, and even then only if someone is able to hear us. Though, if it comes to that, I can always try to use the sonic to amplify our voices. Have to be careful, of course, since we don't want to cause an avalanche or anything. But there's no guarantee, and we'd have to stay the night here. Alternatively," he continued, "I can see where the second tunnel leads and you could stay here."

He stopped talking again and made a face.

"Nope," he stated, "I'm removing that option. I'm not letting you out of my sight for a while, at least a decade, maybe two. So that leaves us with option A, waiting here for the night, or option three, me carrying you on my back to explore the other tunnel. It's nearly level, so I should be able to manage that, superior biology and all," he concluded with a wink.

"So, Rose Tyler," he asked, "What do you think? Which door do you choose? Well, not a literal door, obviously, since there aren't any doors down here, but…"

Rose interrupted, sensing this was going to be more of a ramble than an explanation.

"I'd rather not sleep here, you know? It's bad enough I hurt myself, but we shouldn't have to spend a night on the ground on our honeymoon if we don't have to. Not unless it's by choice, of course," she added. "So, if you really think you can carry me when we don't know how far we're going…"

It was the Doctor's turn to interrupt.

"Of course I can carry you, Rose! Superior biology and all, remember? And anyway, I like having you on me," he insisted, the last part said with wiggled eyebrows.

Rose giggled. "Alright then. You ready?"

"Yup!" said the Doctor, turning and crouching slightly to allow Rose to climb his back. When she was firmly in place, arms around his neck, he stood, left hand automatically moving to hold her thigh so no weight had to rest on her injured ankle.

He did, indeed, support her weight easily, at least in this position, as they started cautiously toward the tunnel. Just before entering, the Doctor paused.

"We probably shouldn't speak aloud while we're in the tunnel. Sound is likely to carry, and we should be careful, just in case there's something living down here. Nice and warm as it is, this might be prime real estate," he said, adjusting her weight slightly to ensure they could make skin contact.

She responded by sending him a feeling of acknowledgement. He grinned, and she felt his pride at her ease with their relatively new mode of communication.

They made their way through the tunnel at a brisk but steady pace. Rose found herself getting sleepy; she was warm, she was being held by her Doctor, and she was at the end of an eventful day.

_"You know,"_ she thought at her husband, _"this probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't said nothing could go wrong."_

_"Only you, Rose,"_ he returned, a wave of adoration softening his words, _"could find a hole barely large enough to fit you when it was hidden on a ski slope, when nobody else had managed to find it. And who knows how long it was there."_

_"We make a good pair, you and I,"_ she sent him, squeezing him tighter for a moment. He made a small, happy noise in the back of his throat and patted her arm.

_"Better with two,"_ he sent back with a little amusement.

_"Are we ever gonna stop saying this stuff, Doctor?"_ she asked, amused to hear the Doctor quoting her again.

_"Nope,"_ came the Doctor's reply, somehow managing to pop the P in his mental tone. _"I never want to forget a single moment with you."_

Before Rose could respond, the two noticed a shift in the light. The tunnel widened just a little before making a turn to the right. As they came around the turn, they saw that there was another cavern ahead of them, this one a bit bigger than the last but still fairly small for a stereotypical cavern, if there was such a thing. The Doctor walked them to the cavern's opening and then stopped.

The cavern was definitely occupied, though they couldn't immediately see by whom. The floor was littered with what looked like birds' bones, hunks of tree, and some human-generated trash. On one side of the mostly-circular room was what looked like a nest, large enough to comfortably fit both her and the Doctor, made from dead leaves, moss, feathers, and what looked like possibly a fur pelt.

_"What?"_ came the Doctor's initial reaction as he took in their first impression of the room. A small whimper came from another part of the room, away from the nest, and they looked to see what appeared to be an improvised playpen, sticks and rocks placed to form a gate across a place the room naturally curved a bit farther out. In the caged area was a small dog, wearing a collar and surrounded by toys, all of which had certainly seen better days.

_"What?"_ thought the Doctor again, taking a step toward the animal before stopping again.

From the nest, they heard movement; what Rose had assumed was a fur pelt was actually alive, and she gasped in surprise as a shape stood, rising on two legs. There in the room with them, looking quite as stunned as they did, was a humanoid, standing seven feet tall, covered in heavy, white fur.

"What?" said the Doctor again, this time aloud, face contorted with confusion.

The creature, in return, opened its mouth and growled.

* * *

_Reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: I like giving toothaches from fluffy sweetness! Doctor and Rose fluff just makes me smile uncontrollably, so I like writing it, reading it, watching it. Thanks for reading and commenting!_

_HpGwperfect: Am I still allowed to be super happy at your reviews with your being my beta now? Well, allowed or not, I still love them._


	5. Only the Lonely

_Author's Note: Beta'd by HpGwperfect, who lets me ramble at her when we both should be asleep. Thanks!_

_Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Really._

* * *

Chapter Five: Only the Lonely

_The creature, in return, opened its mouth and growled._

The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the creature, who whimpered and ducked its head at the noise.

"Oh! So sorry," said the Doctor, sounding more surprised than contrite.

_"What is it, Doctor?"_ asked Rose, still concerned at being trapped underground with something bigger than either of them, no longer actively worried after taking in its body language. _"It looks like a yeti, yeah?"_

_"Yeah, little bit,"_ he replied._ "But it can't be. First, I've met them before, sort of, and this is no yeti. At least, not one I met. Second, well, yetis are supposed to live in the Himalayas."_

Rose peered around the Doctor's head, trying to get a better look. The humanoid still had his head down, quiet noises escaping his mouth as he looked at his hands, which Rose noticed seemed to be holding something carefully, one hand flat while the other was cupped around it, concealing it from view.

_"Doctor,"_ sent Rose,_ "can you let me down? He's not trying to hurt us. It looks like he might be protecting something."_

_"That just makes him more dangerous,"_ replied the Doctor, sending an impression of his own desire to protect her as he put her down carefully, slowly, an arm wrapped around her to support her weight.

Rose squeezed his arm, thankful that he didn't try to remove her choices anymore, despite the fact that she knew he'd still rather her be safe.

"Hello," Rose called to the yeti-esque being. "I'm Rose, and this is the Doctor."

A fur-covered hand lifted to protect a fur-lined ear, but the creature turned to face them, body language reflecting caution rather than aggression. Rose gasped in surprise as she saw what he had been using both hands to hold.

"Doctor," she said quietly, "look. Look at what he's holding."

There, small enough to be curled comfortably in the yeti's large hand, was a grey and white kitten, sleeping contentedly. The Doctor tightened his grip on Rose, knowing she would want to move closer.

As she tried to shift her weight to do just that, the yeti made a noise again. It still sounded a bit like growling or roaring, but it was very quiet, barely audible across the cavern, and there was intelligence in his eyes as he looked at Rose and the Doctor.

"He sounds like a Wookiee, from Star Wars, yeah?" said Rose, still using a low voice to speak to the Doctor, whose eyes widened at her comment.

"But that's not…" he started as he watched the creature. Rose jumped as the same sorts of sounds came suddenly from the Doctor's mouth.

The creature responded, and Rose could tell he and the Doctor were talking, even though she couldn't understand a word of it.

The Doctor answered him again with the same, odd sounds, more quietly this time, before turning to Rose.

"There was a similar species in our first universe," he told her, "and they seem to speak the same language. I don't think he's going to hurt us, but don't let your guard down just yet. And keep your voice quiet; he seems to have very sensitive ears."

The creature came a couple of cautious steps closer, and the Doctor maneuvered himself and Rose a little closer, too. The two continued to exchange information.

"What's his name, Doctor?" asked Rose, feeling a little dizzy and noticing that her ankle had started to throb.

"Glaat," responded the Doctor. "He's a Werringlurr, and he seems to have crashed here."

"Glaat," Rose repeated to herself, trying to listen to the continuing conversation. She was unable to determine whether there were even actual words in the language, though, never mind being able to understand what the words might mean. As usual when she and the Doctor encountered alien races, she wished the TARDIS would be done a little faster. She really missed the translations.

After a minute or two, the Doctor looked at Rose, seeming to notice that she was having a harder time staying upright. He made an inquisitive sound toward Glaat, who gestured at his nest. Rose got the impression that the Doctor had asked for a place for her to rest her leg. The Doctor looked at Glaat quietly for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. He relaxed, just a fraction of a bit, and Rose thought maybe he'd decided to trust the alien who still carefully cradled the sleeping kitten.

"Come on," said the Doctor, leading Rose toward the nest. "Let's get you off that ankle."

Rose complied, letting the Doctor help her into a comfortable position on what looked up close more like a circular bed and less like a nest. When she was situated, the Doctor and Glatt stood near the bed, talking, the Doctor still subtly placing himself between Rose and the stranger. He had relaxed further, though, and Rose thought it would be okay if she closed her eyes as she listened to the indecipherable speech.

Rose still felt a little dizzy as she focused on what she heard, but suddenly, she was getting impressions of meaning behind the noise. She knew, somehow, that the Doctor was explaining that they were visiting the nearby town, and she knew that Glatt was saying he'd been here for about three months, but the sounds were still just noise to her ears. She got dizzier as she continued to try to follow the conversation, and she was reminded of her dizziness as she'd understood the translation of the Gallifreyan inscribed on her engagement ring. Rose tried to ignore her nausea as she listened to Glatt explain that he was alone here and had taken the pets for companionship. The dog didn't like him, despite all the toys, so Glatt was planning to return him as soon as it was safe. The kitten, though, who had been a stray, was staying with him.

Rose felt the Doctor's hand on her forehead, pushing her hair gently out of her face.

"You alright?" he asked, and Rose realized she'd made a sound as the nausea got bad. It had gone away, though, as soon as her focus was interrupted.

"Yeah, sorry," she told him before continuing. "Doctor, he's been here for about three months, right? And he's gonna take the dog back to its owners?"

The Doctor looked startled briefly, then intrigued, the scientist in him studying her.

"That's right. And how do you know that, Rose? Did you study Werringlurrgan while we were separated?"

He sounded as if he doubted that were the explanation, and Rose fought the temptation to bristle before she remembered they had shared their memories on their wedding night.

"No," she told him. "It's like… well, okay, so, you know the writing on my ring?"

The Doctor looked a little confused at the apparent change in topic.

"Of course," he replied, still stroking her hair.

"Well, when I focus on it, I can see what it says," she explained. "Well, not really see. It doesn't change, but I can tell what it says, right?"

The Doctor managed to look simultaneously baffled and like a piece of a puzzle had clicked into place.

"I wondered why you hadn't asked what it said," he told her. "Was a little hurt, actually. I spent all that time getting the inscription just right; it wasn't easy with just the sonic, you know."

"Then you should have said something," Rose scolded him, "instead of pouting about it."

"Like maybe you should have told me you could suddenly read Gallifreyan?" countered the Doctor, eyebrows raised.

Rose blushed slightly.

"Well, I thought maybe you'd done something to the ring or maybe I picked it up from you without realising it. Anyway, so I could read, sort of, it when I focused, but it made me really dizzy. And the same thing's happening now," she continued. "I can understand the… um… Wurginslurgan," she stopped and looked at the Doctor, who corrected her pronunciation almost automatically.

"Werringlurrgan."

"Right," Rose went on. "I can understand it when I try, but I can't really hear the words; I just understand it anyway, if that makes sense. But it makes me real dizzy, and I was getting a bit sick to my stomach."

The Doctor's hand stopped moving, and Rose could practically see the possibilities racing through his mind. He got a look of intense concentration.

"Oh, of course! It's the TARDIS!" he exclaimed happily, and Glaat whimpered in protest at the sudden volume.

Contritely, but without any decrease in the size of his smile, the Doctor apologized to Glaat and then turned back to Rose in order to better explain.

"Her translation circuit must have started to form," he said. "I wasn't sure, and she isn't wasting any of her energy to translate for me since I don't need it, but she's already made a tentative link to you. I can feel it, right alongside our bond! It's probably too subtle for you to even pick up on it consciously yet, but it's there, and she's trying to help you understand even though she can't translate properly yet without that circuit's being fully formed."

He beamed down at her, making a happy noise in his throat. In turn, Rose smiled her biggest smile, showing her love, her excitement, her amusement, and her tongue.

He kissed her once, briefly, and turned back to Glatt. Rose, eyes closed again, focused enough to determine that he was explaining she wasn't feeling well and needed to rest, and then her concentration was interrupted by a surge of nausea. The Doctor turned back to her, now holding the kitten, who was looking around curiously.

"As brilliant as you are, Rose," he told her, "I'd rather you stop trying to listen. It won't do you any lasting harm to let our TARDIS help you translate, but it seems to be making you exceedingly uncomfortable, and between that and your injury and the fact that it is getting fairly late, I think you should try to rest instead. Glaat said the kitten here helps him sleep and suggested you see whether she helps you do the same."

As he spoke, the Doctor pet the kitten gently, smiling when the tiny animal leaned into his hand.

"Thought you said you didn't like cats," said Rose as she watched him.

"Did I say that?" said the Doctor innocently. "I may have been, well, a little jealous at the time. After all, you were calling him 'beautiful boy' and stroking him, and I wanted it to be me," he said, not looking repentant in the slightest. He placed the young kitten next to Rose, and it looked up at her with its trusting, blue eyes before curling up at her neck, promptly commencing with a loud purr as it fell asleep.

"Now, you follow her good example and try to sleep," the Doctor told Rose firmly, bending down to give her a kiss, this one a bit less brief than the last. "Doctor's orders," he added with a wink as he walked off to join Glaat, who'd moved to an improvised table near the cavern's entrance.

Rose closed her eyes and listened to the kitten's purring instead of trying to hear her husband and the alien, but she was unable to fall asleep, despite her exhaustion.

As she rested, she wondered what the other Doctor would think of this and how he was doing. Though she felt some regret at the loss of her occasional connection to him through her dreams, she was so very happy she had her Doctor here with her, and she wished for the same happiness for him. Nobody should ever be as alone as the Doctor was when he traveled by himself.

Almost as if he were summoned by her thoughts, her Doctor came over and joined her in the nest.

"Still awake?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her.

"Yeah," she said sleepily. "Was thinking."

"Well," he said, pulling her tight, careful to neither touch her injured ankle or squish the sleeping feline, "We should both get some sleep. In the morning, Glaat's going to help us get back to the surface before he goes back to sleep for the day. He's nocturnal, so he doesn't have a problem with our using his bed for the night, and it sounds like there will be some climbing, so I want to give you the chance to heal overnight before we head back."

"Sounds good," said Rose, already closer to sleep now that she was warm and being cuddled. "He said he crashed, right? Can Torchwood help him get home?"

"I think so," said the Doctor, "Though it's going to be a bit tricky to either get him to Torchwood or get the needed repair items to him. I was able to take a look at his space craft. It's small, barely bigger than he is. Not my preferred form of travel, certainly. It's actually right next to the table. Perception filter is turned on, of course, which is why it wasn't obvious right away. Tomorrow, we'll call your father from the hotel and see what he thinks is good for a next step. We'll probably have to meet Glaat here for any communication. I do think the people who live in town might object to his just showing up at the hotel. Wouldn't that be funny though, Rose? A yeti at a hotel. He'd fit through the door, at least. He isn't that much bigger than an average human. I mean, noticeably tall, certainly, even without the fur to call attention to him. Well, I say fur, but it actually seems to have more in common with hair. And his ears, they're so sensitive. I can see why he didn't want to try to stay closer to town. I'd love to find out the evolutionary reasons behind hearing quite so sensitive. I mean, registering sounds easily is one thing and can serve an obvious purpose, but to his degree it just seems more of a burden than a help. This cave is perfect for him, with the heat and the quiet. Smells a bit funny, though, between the trash and the dog." He blew air loudly out through his nose. "Anyway, so we'll need to come back here to firm up any plans, and maybe just to give him some company. We know what it's like to be separated from everyone you know. How does that sound, Rose? Rose?" he repeated after a moment, but he got no response.

Warm, comfortable, and tired, Rose Tyler had fallen asleep listening to her husband's voice.

* * *

_Reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: I'm sorry to have left you hanging! I hope this was a better place to stop ;) Also, I've totally laughed out loud at a happy point of a well-written fic while in public. I'm usually too happy to be particularly embarrassed. Now, my squeak of happy during the 50th anniversary special while the rest of the theater was silent? That was embarrassing._


	6. Ready or Not

_Author's Note: Beta'd by HpGwperfect._

_Standard Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who._

* * *

Chapter Six: Ready or Not

When Rose woke the next morning, it took her a moment to remember where she was. Waking up alone in something that resembled a nest almost as much as a bed was a great way to get her heart started, though.

As she remembered where she was, she sat up, looking around for the Doctor. He was sitting on the floor while working on Glaat's ship, which she could now see easily, and Glaat didn't appear to be in the room. The ship was shaped a bit like a rounded coffin, and the only way it would fit a person of Glaat's size would be for him to lie down in it, with very little room to maneuver after it was closed. The Doctor must have heard her move, because he turned to give her a grin.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully. "You slept long enough. Glaat should be back any minute; he wanted to return the dog to its home. I offered to take the dog back for him, but he felt it was his responsibility. Couldn't argue with that too much, and he hasn't been spotted by the locals yet, not really, so I didn't stop him. We'll be going shortly. There's not anything particularly edible here for breakfast unless you fancy chewing on some leaves," he said, gesturing at a pile of foliage.

"I'll pass, thanks," replied Rose, yawning before she got up to join him. She smiled when she saw the kitten curled up near the Doctor.

"Do you know what's wrong with the ship?" she asked him as she picked up the kitten, who was grey except for white patches under her chin on her paws. Rose smiled as the little animal purred happily.

"Yup!" said the Doctor. "I'm very clever," he added with a wink. "This model of ship seems to actually crash quite often, so it's equipped with a rather genius short-range terraforming system. It is designed to burrow into the ground, and as it passes through the soil, rock, or other surface, it deposits the tiniest life forms who give off light, oxygen if needed, and provide for a heat source. In this case, they stimulated the water that runs below us, raising the temperature just enough to heat the cave that was created by the crash." He smiled, looking almost as proud as if he'd designed the system himself. "Also," he continued, "these life forms are designed not to stray too far from the ship, so there's minimal unintended effect on the surrounding habitat."

Rose started to respond but stopped, yawning instead. The Doctor looked exasperated but affectionate.

"Still tired?" he asked. "You slept for nine hours."

"Really?" she replied, surprised. "Don't feel like it. We are on holiday, though, so I should be allowed to sleep all I want, right?"

"Well," came the Doctor's response, "some people use holidays to see and do all they can, so I suppose it depends on who you ask."

"I'm asking you," said Rose, "the man who I'd planned on spending all my time in bed with."

"Right. Good point," said the Doctor. He stood and walked the couple of steps to Rose, petting the kitten before giving his wife a kiss. Before the two could get carried away, they heard Glaat returning.

Glaat said something to the Doctor, a mischievous look on his face as he did. Rose focused in time to get the gist of the Doctor's response: "Hey, we're newlyweds!"

She put a hand to her head.

"I think the dizziness is getting worse," she told the Doctor. "Oh," she added in surprise, "but I didn't even remember I'd hurt my ankle."

She moved the offending body part experimentally, and the Doctor's face shifted from one of concern to a one of smugness.

"I know," he said. "You slept right through my exam and my checking it with the sonic."

"Holiday, remember?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. She turned to face Glaat. "Doctor, can you tell him thanks for letting us stay here?"

The Doctor nodded and complied, he and Glaat each speaking very quickly. She looked between the two.

"You're trying to keep me from getting too dizzy, aren't you?" she asked.

The Doctor looked a little sheepish.

"Welll," he said, rubbing his neck, "keeping our conversations short is the only way we could think to keep you from getting too sick without not talking at all. I can block it out entirely for you, but I assumed you would object," he explained, the last said with obvious hope that she would tell him he could stop the attempts at translation for her.

"You're not cutting my link to our TARDIS," she said, a bit of heat in her voice, "not even for a little while."

"That's what I thought," the Doctor sighed. He looked back at Glaat, giving a brief translation of his and Rose's conversation before asking whether they were ready to go. Glaat responded with an affirmative, so Rose moved to set the kitten down on the makeshift bed.

"Does the kitten have a name?" asked Rose as she made her way back toward where Glaat and the Doctor were waiting by the entrance to the cavern. The Doctor relayed her question.

"Her name roughly translates to 'Puff,' as in 'puff of smoke,'" he replied after Glaat's response, reaching out a hand to help Rose stay grounded.

"What's going to happen to her when Glaat goes home? It doesn't look like there's any extra room in his ship, unless it's bigger on the inside," she said with a hint of a smile.

"We'll figure something out," the Doctor told her. "We won't just leave her here. Come on, let's get you back to the hotel."

Rose couldn't help but think he was also trying to get her away from Glaat and his dizzying speech, but the partial translations were getting rough enough on her that she didn't object too strongly.

"Are we going out the way we came?" asked Rose as they made their way through the tunnel.

"Yup," said the Doctor. "Only way out. However, with your ankle better and Glaat taking the rear to ensure we don't slide back down, we should be able to get out relatively easily. Glaat has rather ape-like feet that combine with his larger size to make the trip up the opening effortless for him."

The group continued through the tunnel in companionable silence, Rose holding the Doctor's hand as he walked just in front of her. After a few minutes, the trip considerably faster with Rose walking herself instead of being carried, they reached the smaller cavern. Rose could see a little bit of light coming through the opening. The Doctor turned to look at Rose.

"This wider spot was made when his ship adjusted itself. It's designed to level out when it has reached optimal depth," he explained. "Really, it's quite clever."

Rose smiled at the admiration in his voice.

"Okay, Rose," the Doctor continued, "you'll go in front. I'll be right behind you, and Glaat will stay behind me. We'll say goodbye for now at the surface; there's probably not anybody on the slope yet this early, but it is light out, so there's no need to push our luck. Plus, Glaat could probably use some sleep sooner rather than later.

The climb up the tunnel was thankfully uneventful. At the top, the Doctor stopped to speak to Glaat, who waited just inside the opening. Rose sat down on a rock a few strides away as the Doctor told Glaat they would be back to fill him in as soon as they had a plan. She looked around, realising she'd ended up further off the dedicated ski slope than she'd realised the day before; that must be how nobody else had stumbled upon (or into) the tunnel. The Doctor finished speaking with Glaat and came to join Rose.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, trying and failing to hide a look of concern.

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm not going back to normal quite as quickly as I was, though."

"Come on," he said, reaching to take her hand, fingers waggling. "Let's get back to the hotel. Bit nippy up here, anyway."

Rose took the Doctor's hand and let him help her stand. The walk down the slope took quite a while, and people started to pass them on skis and snowboards as they neared the bottom. The walking pair received very odd looks from those who noticed them.

They were met near the facilities' exit by two employees who appeared fairly upset, either by their presence without paying for the day or by their trek down the slope on foot, possibly both. Rose let the Doctor smooth the situation over in his fluent Italian, and she was grateful that the TARDIS didn't seem to have any interest in helping her translate other human languages. She still didn't feel quite herself yet and hoped she'd feel better soon.

The Doctor did end up having to pay the admission fee for the slopes for the day, but then the two were allowed to go. When they finally arrived at the bed and breakfast, it was nearing mid-day, and Rose was exhausted. She let herself fall onto the bed and sighed in relief. The Doctor sat down next to her.

"Some sleep seems to be in order," he said. "Even I'm a bit knackered."

Rose mumbled incoherently in agreement. She heard the Doctor chuckle, then felt her shoes being gently removed before she was shifted into a more comfortable sleeping position on the bed. She was vaguely aware of the Doctor stretching out beside her, and then she was asleep.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Hunger woke Rose sometime later. Before she opened her eyes, she heard her husband speaking quietly.

"That sounds like a good idea, Pete. I'll call you after we've verified with Glaat." There was a pause on the Doctor's side of the conversation. "Will do, Pete."

As Rose heard the Doctor end the phone call, she opened her eyes and stretched.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted her cheerfully, moving to stand by the bed. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, sitting up. She felt a slight wave of dizziness, but it receded quickly.

"I had some food sent up," said the Doctor helpfully. "Should still be warm, even. Didn't want to wake you since you looked like you needed the sleep."

"How long was I asleep?" she asked as she made her way to the bathroom.

"A few hours," he responded. "It's nearing time to eat again, and you've missed two meals. The connection with the TARDIS might be affecting you more than I thought. After you're finished eating, I'd like to take a look around inside that brilliant mind of yours, if that's okay."

"Of course," said Rose, making her way back out of the bathroom and to the small table in their room. The Doctor had ordered pasta, pizza, and bruschetta, and Rose dug in hungrily.

"Heard you talking to Dad," she said between bites. "Did you get everything sorted with Glaat?"

"Yup!" said the Doctor, sitting in the other chair at the table. She could tell he was still a little worried and knew he'd be a bit tense until she was back to normal.

"Pete's going to send a small team with the part needed," he continued. "It isn't too large, but it won't get through security on its own. I just need to verify one or two things with Glaat to ensure we get the right part here. We really should have left him with one of our mobiles."

They continued talking as Rose ate and the Doctor nibbled; he'd already eaten before she woke up. Rose was nearly full when she was struck by another bout of dizziness.

"Rose?" asked the Doctor, concerned.

"I'm alright," said Rose when she could speak properly.

"Lie down on the bed," he told her firmly. "I need to see what is going on, and I want you to be comfortable while I do it."

She complied, moving to the bed and arranging herself comfortably. The Doctor joined her on the bed.

"Since that's how you are comfortable, and since I want to be able to touch you where it will have the most effect," he explained, "I'm going to need to be over you."

Before Rose could ask him to clarify what he meant, he knelt with one knee on either side of her, straddling her. He put a hand on each of her temples, his forehead touching hers lightly.

"We won't usually need this much contact, of course, but I need to be able to explore more deeply than usual," he told her as he gently leaned his mind into hers as they both closed their eyes.

She heard his intake of breath as he registered what she was feeling; thanks in part to their arrangement in the bed, her most dominant feeling was one of desire.

"Rose," he said, and she was gratified to hear that he was slightly breathless, "I need you to save that feeling for later. It isn't very conducive to focusing on what I need to right now, but I definitely want to return to that afterward."

The low rumble in his voice at his last statement made it difficult, but Rose took a few breaths and tried to focus on something other than her husband on top of her. She was struck again with a wave of nausea, and she could feel the Doctor's mental frown.

"Why can't I see you like last time?" she asked, distracting herself from her stomach.

"Because I'm trying to explore other parts of your mind," he said, "not just your consciousness."

"Alright," she said, staying quiet as she paid attention instead to the odd sensation of someone gently moving through her mind.

"Ah," said the Doctor. "I found the connection. Hello, my beautiful girl! Oh," he continued, a touch of awe and excitement washing over Rose, "she's more fully grown than she should be. That's how she was able to make this link. She's going to be fantastic, Rose! At this rate, we might be traveling as soon as a year from now."

Rose felt his excitement and his love before those shifted to slight confusion.

"I don't see… I don't know why you're nauseated right now, Rose. The connection is still here, of course, but she isn't doing anything. Maybe you caught something, a bug or a virus?"

She fought a yawn as she felt him move elsewhere in her mind, tired again now that she wasn't worried about the TARDIS's connection causing her ill effects.

"What is… But that's not…" He stopped, and Rose felt some confusion and concern mixed with something she couldn't immediately identify. He continued speaking, haltingly. "It has only been a few days, so how… oh. Oh!"

Hope, Rose realised, was the emotion she hadn't immediately identified, not being an emotion that she associated with confusion. She opened her eyes when he didn't immediately continue talking, and she saw his were already open, watching her.

"Do you know what's wrong, Doctor?" she asked.

"I think so," he said cautiously, "though of course I'll want to confirm it. Even sensitive humans don't typically register symptoms until a week after, but it seems there are alien-to-you hormones, too, and you must be more sensitive to those since your body isn't sure how to handle…"

"Doctor," interrupted Rose. "You aren't talking straight. What's wrong with me? Did I catch an alien flu or something?"

"Wellll, not exactly," he responded, moving back just a few inches as he pulled on his ear, moving his other hand to stroke her hair. She felt a wide range of emotions from him as he took a deep breath, hope, caution, and excitement comprising a large portion of what he was feeling.

"Just say it, Doctor," said Rose, confused by his hesitation.

"Remember I said the TARDIS could be ready in a year?" he asked.

"Of course, Doctor," she said. "That was just a few minutes ago."

"Right. Well, when she's ready for that level of direction in regards to her design," he said, "we will need to ask the TARDIS to include a nursery."

* * *

_Reviews!_

_EvFan100: I'm so glad! They are the cutest couple ever, even if we don't see them that way on screen, officially. I love being able to share how I see their happily ever after :)_

_HpGwperfect: Thanks for saying I don't ramble ;)_

_britgirlatheart: The kitten was originally just for the "yeti," but then the Doctor told me he really wanted some kitten cuddles, too, so I had to share them with him ;)_


	7. We're Doing What?

_Author's Note: This chapter is about 500 words longer in its adult version over on Teaspoon._

_Beta'd by HpGwperfect._

_Standard Disclaimer: You know I own nothing Doctor Who._

* * *

Chapter Seven: We're Doing What?

"Right. Well, when she's ready for that level of direction in regards to her design," he said, "we will need to ask the TARDIS to include a nursery."

Rose blinked.

"What?" she asked, not sure whether she had understood him correctly.

"We're having a baby, Rose," said her husband, who was now beaming down at her.

"How do you know?" she questioned him. "I'm not even close to being late."

"Well," he said, adopting his informational tone, "when I started trying to figure out what was wrong, I noticed that your hormone levels were a little bit off. There was elevated HCG, which typically indicates pregnancy, but not enough that I would have detected it if I weren't looking for something out of the ordinary. In fact, I first noticed the presence of a similar Gallifreyan hormone. It stood out a bit better even at the lower levels because it's not naturally occuring for your body. Typically, most women don't know they're pregnant until they notice the changes in their cycle. Some women get their first symptoms about a week earlier than that, at implantation. However, your body is having to produce extra hormones to prepare for implantation. We are similar enough genetically that we were able to conceive and that you should be able to carry safely, but your body is going to have to work just a bit harder than it would otherwise."

He looked at her cautiously again as he finished speaking, almost as if he expected to be slapped.

"I would have mentioned that when we were ready to start trying, you know," he added as an afterthought.

Rose was quiet for a moment as she absorbed the information, some of which she already knew but had never really applied to herself.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Rose?" asked the Doctor, starting to babble a bit in his nervousness. "I know when we'd talked about trying right away neither of us had pictured anything happening quite this quickly, but when we didn't use protection after the wedding I sort of thought, well, that you might be okay with it. I mean, we did have all those condoms Jack gave us, but…"

Rose interrupted him by wrapping her arms around him and pulling him the few inches back to her face so she could kiss him soundly. She used the contact to more firmly send him her emotions of disbelief and joy. As he registered the emotions, he grinned too widely to continue their kiss.

"We're going to have a baby, Rose," he said again, lips brushing hers as he spoke.

Rose laughed.

"And I was looking forward to all that practice," she told him, moving in a way designed to remind him of her feelings as he'd first entered her mind earlier that evening.

After the Doctor showed her that practice was still possible with the task already accomplished, they lay in bed, facing each other as he stroked her hair.

"Thank you for giving me this," he said. "A wife, a family, all things I never thought I'd have again, never thought I had the right to. I love you, Rose Tyler."

"Quite right, too," she said with a smile large enough to show a hint of tongue.

They kissed briefly before the Doctor pulled Rose close, wrapping her tightly in his arms. They stayed there, neither moving nor speaking, content for some time.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Unfortunately, thought Rose, they couldn't stay in bed for the rest of the night since they first needed to check with Glaat about the parts for his ship.

When they arrived back at the ski resort, they found themselves having to pay for not one, but two pairs of skis each since their first pairs hadn't been returned. They were then firmly warned that the ski slopes would be closing in an hour, and that they'd be expected this time, the receptionist informing them she would call the polizia if the Doctor and Rose weren't off the premises by closing.

Looking properly chastised, the two made it back out of the rental shop before they started laughing, bumping into each other as they made their way to the proper lift.

As they rode, Rose noticed that the Doctor seemed to be fluctuating between excessive happiness and worry, some of these emotions making their way to her without his appearing to be aware of it.

"You okay, Doctor?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

"Of course," he replied, grinning at her. She arched an eyebrow in response, and the Doctor sighed.

"I worry. You know I do," he said. "I love our child already, but I've learned that the more I love, the more I risk, the more it hurts. Anything could go wrong, or the worst could happen and I could lose you both. So yes, I worry." He stopped to take a deep breath. "But this child will be yours and mine, so she will probably be jeopardy friendly and cause all sorts of trouble, but she will have your way of looking at things that makes it all better, that makes me better, and, well, that's worth the risk."

It still hadn't really sunk in for Rose that they were having a child, the news too recent to feel real. This Doctor, though, her Doctor who loved so fiercely and still fought the urge to build a wall, to block it all out so he could be safe, she really knew, and the best way to bump him out of his overthinking was to give him a challenge.

When they got off the lift, the Doctor still quiet, Rose nudged him with her shoulder as best she could with them both on skis.

"Race you to the bottom once, Doctor?" she said with a grin.

She was surprised when his returning look was a serious one.

"Rose, that isn't very safe in your condition," he told her. She sighed.

"Right. I suppose that's true," she said, disappointed and trying to think of something else that might help as they made their way to the tunnel such a short way down the slope. "Wait," she asked, "how are we going to get in safely, then?"

"We're not," he said. "I'll use the sonic to let Glaat know we're here. It won't even take much in the way of amplification since he has such sensitive hearing."

As they reached the opening and came to a stop, she looked at her husband.

"Doctor," she started, "are you planning to coddle me this much for the whole nine months? I'm pregnant, not made of glass."

The Doctor removed his skis and knelt down by the opening, doing something she couldn't quite make out with the sonic screwdriver.

"Eleven," he answered absently, "and no, I'm not planning to, but it might be an unavoidable side effect of your carrying my offspring."

"What do you mean, eleven?" asked Rose, confused and deciding to ignore the rest of his response.

The Doctor avoided her eyes as he explained.

"Welll," he said hesitantly before expelling the rest of his sentence in a rush, "Gallifreyan pregnancies may be a bit longer than human ones and you are carrying a hybrid which means you will be pregnant longer than usual and maybe as long as eleven months instead of forty weeks and I'm sorry but I would have told you."

Rose took a moment to digest the information before responding with the most articulate wording she could manage: "What?"

The Doctor met her eyes, ran his hand through his hair, and had opened his mouth to respond when they both heard Glaat reaching the tunnel's opening. The Doctor seemed grateful for the momentary distraction as he started speaking to Glaat.

Rose kept an eye on the nearby, technically-active slope while the two spoke. Trying not to focus on what Glaat and the Doctor were saying did help her avoid the nausea, and Rose needed a moment to think. She still felt a little on edge when the Doctor tried to close himself off, and she was worried he would do it to keep his concerns away from her, thinking he was helping. The coming months were going to be difficult, even without being pregnant longer than usual. She remembered his joy when he realized they were having a baby and that she wasn't upset about it, and she smiled. Her partially Time Lord husband certainly had his quirks, but she had loved the Doctor since he wore leather, and if he needed some time to get his head straight, she would try to give it to him. Patience, though, wasn't always her strongest attribute.

Focused on the slope and on her thoughts, Rose was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the Doctor looking at her, a searching look on his face.

"You are projecting an impressive range of emotions, Rose," he said. "I'm not sure whether you meant to. That can happen if you are thinking about me and the emotions, mixed signals for your brain."

In response, she said, "I love you, Doctor. You know that, yeah? But we're gonna have to have some rules. No," she interrupted as the Doctor tried to speak, "it's my turn to talk. You can tell me what is safe to do and what isn't, but I'm not going to have you dictating my every move. I won't spend the next year holed up in our room, covered in bubble wrap. You won't shut me out, and you will be as honest with me as you can, and…" she thought for a moment, wanting to get all of her rules laid out up front, "and you will get me all the chips I want, whenever I want them," she finished.

From the Doctor, she felt waves of understanding and love, and he smiled at her.

"Is that all?" he asked. "I think I can do that, but, in the meantime, Glaat has a wedding present for us."

"Oh," said Rose, embarrassed as she noticed Glaat waiting at the top of the tunnel, watching the two curiously.

She made her way over to him, the Doctor slipping his hand into hers. Each of them crouched down so they could be close enough to hear Glaat without his risking exposure unnecessarily. When Glaat spoke, Rose was again reminded of Wookie noises and made a note to ask the Doctor whether that was coincidence.

Rose was still unable to understand his words and was made fairly dizzy in her concentration, but Glaat's speech felt just a little clearer than it had previously.

Puff needed a home, said the alien, and the kitten would not do well on Glaat's journey home. Since she had liked the Doctor and Rose, Glaat wanted to give her to the newlyweds in return for the help they'd already given.

"Can we keep her?" Rose asked the Doctor, who was watching her as he so often still did, as if her reaction mattered more than his own.

"If you want," he said, a crooked sort of smile growing on his face. Rose smiled back, and the Doctor turned to Glaat, saying they were very grateful to be given the care of his companion and would take good care of the feline. Glaat responded that he'd like to keep the kitten with him until he was ready to leave, and the Doctor said he wasn't sure the hotel allowed pets, anyway.

"We might need to cut our honeymoon just a little short, Rose," said the Doctor, being able to tell by her visible dizziness that she had been listening. "I think we should still take the time off work, though. Maybe we could not tell anybody we're home? I'd like some time with just us, especially while I study the TARDIS and make sure everything is on track with what I'm reading via your link."

"That sounds perfect, Doctor," she said with a smile. He beamed at her briefly before turning to Glaat, confirming that meeting on the outskirts of town at dusk of the next day would be acceptable. Glaat made an odd gesture with his hands, putting them together in front of them before pulling them back apart and to his ears. It looked to Rose like the equivalent to a wave goodbye, so she repeated the gesture and was treated with a smile before the alien dropped out of sight.

Rose and the Doctor got their skis back on and made their way out of the resort after returning their skis. Rose thought the shop employee looked surprised and suspicious at their return, and she couldn't help but be amused; if only the employees knew why the two hadn't checked out properly the night before.

The Doctor looked at his wrist as they made their way back to the hotel at a comfortable walk, admiring the stars and talking about where they'd go first when their TARDIS was functional.

"The Torchwood team should be here shortly," he told her. "They're meeting us at our room. We should have just enough time for dinner at the ristorante, if you're up for it."

Rose's nausea had subsided during the walk, and the couple enjoyed a pleasant dinner before retiring to their room. They hadn't fully gotten comfortable when there was a knock on the door. The Doctor got up to answer it, letting Rose stay where she was sitting in the bed, above the covers and still fully dressed.

"Hiya, Doc," Rose heard in a familiar voice from the other side of the door. "Pete said you and Rosie could use my help."

* * *

_Reviews!_

_HpGwperfect: BABY! I'm excited, too. I might have to write a couple of oneshots since I'm not wanting this fic to go THAT long and want to start the next full story with the TARDIS done. What do you think?_

_britgirlatheart: You're always so happy in your reviews and it makes me happy, too! I'm glad you were pleased with their surprise ;)_

_WhovianTitanPotter: Kitty! Baby! I'm glad you liked the last chapter :)_

_I made a picture of Rose and the Doctor and Puff on the mountain. If anyone is interested, it's over at my Tumblr, username crazygirlne._


	8. Holding out for a Hero

_Author's Note: Just one more chapter after this! It is written and will be posted in a day or so after I make sure I still like the ending :)_

_Thanks so much, HpGwperfect!_

* * *

Chapter Eight: Holding out for a Hero

"Hiya, Doc," Rose heard in a familiar voice from the other side of the door. "Pete said you and Rosie could use my help."

"Jack!" said Rose excitedly, jumping out of the bed to join the Doctor at the door. Unfortunately, she was hit with a wave of nausea as she did so and instead rushed to the toilet.

The Doctor came in and rubbed her back as she emptied her stomach. She groaned.

"Hey, Rosie," she heard from outside the bathroom. "I've gotta say, I've seen you looking better."

Rose managed a weak chuckle. "Thanks, Jack," she said.

As the Doctor helped her to her feet, Rose sent him a silent request:_ "I don't want to lie to Jack, if he asks. Don't mention that I'm pregnant if he doesn't, though, alright? Mum will kill us if she isn't the first to know."_

_"Right,"_ said the Doctor. _"Don't want that. Your mother will already be angry that we had to call for Torchwood on our honeymoon."_

_"Did you know Dad was sending Jack?"_ Rose continued.

_"Nope,"_ replied the Doctor, running his fingers through his hair.

"Hey now, don't let me interrupt," said Jack, startling Rose slightly. "I've been around enough to recognise a telepathic conversation when I see one. Would you like me to step outside?"

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other a moment in the more standard form of non-verbal communication that many couples are capable of, coming to a mutual decision based on what was in the other's eyes.

"No, that's alright," said Rose. "Stay. Are you hungry? We've got some leftovers," she offered.

"So, I'm guessing you don't have food poisoning, then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The food is safe, Jack," huffed Rose. "So, Dad sent you with the part?"

"That's right," said Jack. "I've got it in the bag in my room. I share a wall with you," he nodded to one side of their room, "so if you want me to join you two for any extra-curricular activities, just knock," he finished with a wink at Rose.

"Pete said he was sending a team," said the Doctor, sounding a little miffed. Rose couldn't help her amusement that the Doctor still seemed a little jealous when Jack flirted with her when, technically, neither was the same man as when they first met. She let a little of her humor reach the Doctor, who frowned further. Rose, however, caught the flash of mirth in his eyes and smiled in response.

"That's me," said Jack. "I'm the team. We couldn't really spare anyone else right now, and I can travel just a little faster than the rest of Torchwood when I need to." He tapped his wrist-bound vortex manipulator. "It's also handy for getting through airport security with contraband goods. Not that it goes as far as it could if someone would just fix it properly," he added with an exaggerated glare at the Doctor.

"Can you bring the piece here so I can have a look at it?" asked the Doctor, ignoring Jack's comment about fixing his device.

"Yes, sir!" said Jack with a mock salute as he turned neatly and marched out the door before making a sharp turn to the left and out of their sight. Rose giggled.

"It's hard to remember he's not our Jack sometimes," she said, sitting back down on the bed, feet hanging over the side.

"Feeling better?" asked the Doctor as he sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder to pull her close and placing a kiss on her temple.

"Much," said Rose. "Being this sick isn't going to last the whole time, is it?"

"Probably not," said the Doctor. "Well, maybe not. I hope. It's likely to get a bit worse before it gets better, but you should feel some relief as soon as your body adjusts to the Gallifreyan hormones. He or she," he continued, placing his palm over her flat stomach, "will make it a little easier on you then, though you will likely be more tired than normal for the full duration."

Jack returned then, large, military-style backpack slung over one shoulder as he came into the room and shut the door behind him. He took one look at the newlyweds, the Doctor's hand resting possessively on Rose's stomach, and broke into a wide grin.

"I've never been happier to see a gift go to waste," he said, referring to the assortment he'd given them as a wedding present. "Congratulations, you two! You certainly didn't waste any time. Or is this why the wedding was so fast?"

The Doctor stood quickly and put himself between Jack and Rose.

"Not that it is any of your business when it happened, but yes, she's pregnant, and it happened after the wedding," he said with some heat in his voice, and Jack bristled instinctively at the aggressive posture. "Furthermore," said the Doctor, taking a step toward Jack as Rose stood, ready to diffuse the situation, "if you tell Jackie, I will slap you twice as hard as she'll slap me."

Jack burst into laughter, and both men relaxed their stances.

"Congratulations, Doc," said Jack, clasping the other man's shoulder. "And Rosie!" he said, moving over to her and sweeping her into a hug. Rose was sure she heard the Doctor growl over their laughter, and Jack set her down more quickly than he might have otherwise. "So, I guess I'm the first to know?"

"Yeah," answered Rose. "We only found out a few hours ago. Wouldn't even know for over a week if we were both properly human," she added.

"Being a proper human is overrated," said Jack as he began emptying the bag's contents onto the table. Weapon after weapon emerged, and Rose was soon fighting giggles again as the Doctor glowered.

"Did you leave any guns at Torchwood?" she asked.

"One or two," said Jack with a smile and a wink before he pulled out the item he was looking for. "One compression coil, class C." He handed the object to the Doctor. "We had a few of them in the basement. It's a nothing part until you don't have one, so we keep them on hand."

The Doctor whipped out his glasses and put them on before scanning the part with his sonic, tongue poking out between his teeth as he concentrated. Rose and Jack both watched him hungrily until they each noticed the other doing the same, and then they burst into laughter.

The Doctor, concentration broken, looked up. "What?" he asked, looking from one to the other. "Stop it!" he whined when they laughed harder.

"Sorry, Doctor," said Rose, reaching out to touch his arm before sending an image of how he looked in his glasses and the feelings that picture inspired in her.

"Oh," he said in a low voice, understanding showing on his face.

Jack looked from one to the other. "Touch telepathy, huh?" he said questioningly. "I don't really remember that from my dreams."

"Sort of," said Rose as the Doctor went back to checking the part. "He's got touch telepathy, but he never used it much, and when we married, we, um, bonded our minds, or something like that. So now I can use telepathy, too, but just with the Doctor."

"Man," said Jack enviously, "I've been with a few telepaths, and boy can they spice things up in the sack."

"Jack!" said Rose, blushing. The Doctor looked up for long enough to be sure she had things under control before focusing back on the task at hand.

"Oh, come on, Rosie, you know I don't mean any harm," Jack told her, breaking out the smile again. Rose sighed, equal parts exasperated and amused, then yawned. The Doctor looked at her, assessing.

"You need sleep," he told her, placing the coil on the table, careful not to touch Jack's arsenal in the process. "Jack, can you take your weapons and go?" he said, his lip curling slightly in disgust as he looked at the various guns on the table. "My wife needs sleep so she can properly grow our child," he continued, more than a little pride and love creeping into his voice.

"Sure, fine, I can see when I'm not welcome," said Jack with yet another wink, this one aimed at the Doctor. He returned the offensive items to his pack and moved to open the door. "Oh, and Rosie, Doctor?" he said as he exited. "Don't keep your voices down in bed." He shut the door on his wide grin.

Rose laughed as she and the Doctor got comfortable in bed after stripping out of their daytime clothes. "I missed Jack," she told him. "I'm glad we found this one."

"Not too glad, I hope," the Doctor said, his voice low again as he ran his hands along her body, gently, possessively, pausing at her abdomen again, wonderingly.

"Not too glad," repeated Rose, placing her hand over his before yawning again.

The Doctor adjusted the two of them so that they were on their sides, her back to his front, his arm wrapped around her.

"You need sleep, Rose," he said. "Sleep is excellent, even though it does take so much more time in these human bodies. It helps the mind process what it has absorbed during the day, restores energy, helps reduce stress, helps metabolize food more efficiently. Not that you should be worried about losing weight right now, mind you. Pregnant or not, you are beautiful, Rose, with or without your beauty sleep. 'Beauty sleep.' Did you know that term was originally used to refer only to the portion of sleep that occurred before midnight? Now, of course, the definition is a bit less exact."

Rose, enjoying the sound of her husband's voice as he continued explaining sleep-related facts, drifted happily off to sleep herself.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The next morning, after the Doctor thoroughly examined Rose in particularly pleasurable ways, Rose and the Doctor got showered and dressed and left their room, stopping by Jack's to invite him along for the day. The Doctor knocked on Jack's door, and Rose rolled her eyes at the female giggling she heard from within the room. The door opened, Jack's face peeking out along with enough of his body to make it clear he was completely naked behind the door.

"Morning, Doc!" he said cheerfully. "What's going on?"

"We wanted to see if you wanted to explore with us," said Rose, her grin turning into a blush when she realized her words might be misconstrued given who she was talking to. "The town, I mean, or somewhere nearby," she clarified. "We don't need to meet our, um, acquaintance until it's getting dark."

"Sure, why not?" said Jack, looking back into his room. "Give me half an hour?"

"Alright," said Rose, happy smile showing her tongue. "Meet you downstairs?"

"See you then," Jack replied with a wink as he shut the door.

Rose linked her arm with the Doctor's as they walked to the small but comfortable sitting area in the lobby. Rose was grateful to be feeling almost like her normal self, and they chatted happily as they waited, smiling and laughing.

After Jack joined them, the day passed quickly. The trio had a fun, uneventful trip to Lake Barcis and the town that shared its name, enjoying lunch and watching the few waterfowl that were brave enough to stick around the frigid, aquamarine lake. They all got to know each other a bit better, Rose committing the differences between this Jack and "her" Jack to memory. Though he did have a few differences from earlier in his life, most of what had changed between the two universes' men happened after the Doctor and Rose had met the other Jack. Without the TARDIS's help in getting to the game station, this Jack was a bit younger than the one they'd last seen in their original world. However, he was still fairly old by human standards and had a seemingly endless supply of stories to share.

When they returned to the hotel, it was nearly time to meet Glaat, so they retrieved the needed part and set out, Rose trying to hide her exhaustion as the group made its way to the meeting point.

She realized she wasn't succeeding well when she caught both men sneaking worried looks at her. She sighed.

"I'm fine," she told them. "Bit knackered, yes, but I'm perfectly able to walk to the edge of town and back, and you don't need to keep looking at me like I'm about to fall apart!"

The Doctor stopped and took her hand, and Rose tensed when she felt him mentally verifying her statement. He felt her anger and withdrew.

"You are brilliant, Rose, and you certainly know your limits. I know mine, too, though, and I can't say I will stop worrying about you, ever. I've lost you too many times for that. Besides," he added, shifting his expression into a grin, "just think how boring your life might be if you didn't have me to keep in line."

"Oh, shut up," she told him, lightly slapping his arm before caressing his face and resuming their walk. The Doctor took her hand, sending reassurance and apology as he did. The trio resumed their easy banter, and they soon arrived at the rendezvous point as the sun set. They were in a wooded area just outside of town, just far enough from the road to avoid any likely unwanted sightings.

After just a few moments, Glaat joined them, greeting Rose and the Doctor as he looked at Jack curiously.

"Hello there," said Jack to the newcomer. "Captain Jack Harkness." He reached out a hand to shake Glaat's.

"Not now, Jack," said the Doctor.

"I'm just saying hello," protested Jack, and Rose thought she saw what looked like a blush on the hairy alien's face.

The Doctor didn't bother addressing Jack's response, instead turning to speak with Glaat. Rose leaned on the Doctor, her dizziness and nausea hitting her immediately as the Doctor explained that he had the part and asked whether Glaat knew how to replace the faulty one. Her husband turned to her, concerned.

"I know you want to help, Rose," he said, "but it sounds like I'm going to need to go with Glaat to repair his ship. You're tired, and the translation of the Werringlurrgan is affecting you even more than it was. I suspect your hormonal changes are making you more susceptible to the negative side effects. Will you wait with Jack? Please?"

Rose looked at the Doctor as she tried to decide whether she was up to following him. Deciding it would likely just be another fight at the tunnel's opening since there was no way he'd let her down that slope without an argument, and she really was quite tired, she reluctantly agreed. The Doctor seemed a little more worried than relieved that she'd given in so quickly.

"I'll keep her safe, Doc," said Jack seriously, and Rose rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing to keep me safe from," she said, gesturing around them at the empty woods.

The Doctor pulled her close for a lingering kiss, prompting a whistle from Jack.

"Be safe," he told her, and she felt his reluctance as he prepared to walk away.

After a quick exchange between Glaat and the Doctor, Glaat moved over to Rose, saying that if the Doctor fixed his ship, he wouldn't see her again, and it had been a pleasure knowing her. He again made his odd, goodbye gesture, and Rose returned it. As Glaat and the Doctor walked further into the woods and out of sight, Rose felt tears forming.

"Stupid hormones," she told Jack, sniffing. "I barely even know him."

Jack pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"You care, Rosie. It's what you do, when you're not kicking ass."

Rose chuckled as he released her. "Not that the Doctor's gonna let me do that any time soon. Might end up kicking his instead."

"I'd like to see that," said Jack with a laugh. "So," he said, changing the subject slightly, "a baby, huh?"

"Yeah," said Rose, placing a hand over her stomach. "It's weird. Doesn't seem real yet, ya know? But I've got plenty of time to get used to the idea."

Rose explained the Doctor's theory as to the length of her pregnancy. Jack whistled in sympathy, but before he could respond, they heard loud rustling from nearby.

"Doctor?" called Rose as Jack pulled out a weapon. Rose didn't see where he'd gotten it from, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. When there was no response from the Doctor, Rose reached out to her mate, trying to send a feeling of inquiry. She was pleased when she got one in return until she realized it felt much further away than the noise they'd heard.

"Rosie," said Jack, "let's get back to the road."

Before Rose could decide whether to argue or to comply, a large shape moved loudly closer to them, and when it stood on its hind legs, Rose found herself at eye level with an angry, brown bear.

* * *

_Sorry, sorry, bit of a cliffhanger. You won't have to wait long!_

_Reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: One shot and sequels are in the works ;) I'm trying to get this one done before Monday since I have a more official work than usual next week. The one shot will be posted for Christmas, and then I'll start the next story._

_HpGwPerfect: Feeeeeels! Doctor and Rose always give me feels._


	9. Over and Out

_Author's Note: This is it! Here's the last chapter. There will be a oneshot for Christmas, and then I plan to resume the next story in the series after the holidays, starting when their TARDIS is fully functional. Let me know whether you'd prefer an adult or teen version of the Christmas fic!_

* * *

Chapter Nine: Over and Out

_Before Rose could decide whether to argue or to comply, a large shape moved loudly closer to them, and when it stood on its hind legs, Rose found herself at eye level with an angry, brown bear._

"Get behind me, Rosie," said Jack carefully. "I would get in front of you, but I don't want to move closer and make it even angrier."

Rose moved behind Jack without turning away from the bear, who was watching them. She shuffled backward carefully, and as she positioned herself behind her friend, she noticed a weapon-shaped bulge at his back; it looked like he might have a gun tucked into his pants beneath his jacket.

"Can I take this?" she asked quietly, pressing her hand to his back next to the suspected weapon.

"You can put your hands under my clothes whenever you want, Rosie," said Jack in an even tone.

"Not the time, Jack," Rose told him, taking his reply for both assent and confirmation that it was a weapon. She reached under his jacket and removed the metal object carefully. When it was in sight, she was relieved to see it was a weapon she'd trained with at Torchwood. She adjusted the weapon's settings to match her intentions and her opponent's size, and she spoke again. "Let's try backing up slowly, yeah?" she suggested, and Jack nodded in agreement.

Rose simultaneously wished the Doctor were with her and was glad he wasn't; his gob probably wouldn't be a big help in this particular situation.

As the two friends started making their way backwards, the bear tensed again. Rose slowed her retreat further, ready to come to a stop. She let out a startled squeak as she tripped, falling backwards and landing on her backside.

The bear dropped to all fours and charged.

"Get down!" yelled Jack, turning toward Rose briefly, but the bear had reached them by the time he turned back, adjusting its weight to swipe at Jack. The large paw connected, and Jack yelled as its claws ripped into his left shoulder, spinning him away from the animal. Rose, faced with the decision to try to save herself or to try to protect her friend, didn't hesitate. She brought up her weapon, aimed it as quickly as she knew she could without losing accuracy, and fired. The animal immediately slumped to the ground, knocked out, and Rose watched it for a moment before getting up and moving over to Jack.

"Come on," she told him, "let's get back to the road."

Jack, pain evident and weapon trained back on the prone bear, grunted in agreement, and the pair moved quickly and carefully out of the woods, listening for any sign of the bear. When they reached the road, Rose breathed a sigh of relief and moved to take a look at Jack's injuries.

The bear had caught him behind his shoulder, and the claw marks reached about four inches at their longest. There was a good bit of blood, but none of the scrapes looked excessively deep, and nothing made Rose think they'd damaged anything vital. The wounds would be painful for some time, but they didn't appear to be life-threatening.

"How's the coat?" asked Jack weakly.

"I'm not sure it's gonna make it, Jack," she responded lightly.

Her relief was momentarily interrupted as she heard something moving quickly through the woods. She lifted her gun and aimed it toward the sound, ready to fire.

"Rose!" she heard, and she lowered the weapon as the Doctor came running out of the foliage and toward them. He came to a stop as he took in the sight of a bleeding Jack and an armed Rose, then he made his way the last several steps to his wife. "Are you okay? What happened? I felt you were confused, and then you were panicked, so I rushed back, but I didn't see you, and I was afraid that… Are you alright?"

"Yes, Doctor," she said as she reached for him. Her vision faded as her exhaustion caught up with her, and she vaguely registered the Doctor's scooping her into his arms as she lost consciousness.

O~O~O~O~O~O

She awoke in their hotel room and took a moment to register her surroundings. She was in the bed, the Doctor next to her, her head on his chest and his arm pulled firmly around her, their legs intertwined.

"A bear, Rose," said the Doctor quietly, in a carefully controlled voice, sensing she was awake. "I'd hardly left you, and you managed to encounter a bear. One that typically avoids humans, I might add."

"Handled it, didn't I?" Rose said in response. The Doctor pulled her to him more tightly.

"We've got one life together, Rose Tyler, just one. Please do your best not to cut it short," he told her.

Rose shifted so she could see his face, which looked as restrained as his voice.

"Again, I handled it," she told him. "I don't want anything to happen to us either. I promise not to try to get into any trouble, but you have to trust that I can manage myself in a pinch."

He closed his eyes. "I do, Rose. You are brilliant, and I do believe you can manage."

She reached out to cup his face and then leaned up to kiss him, his control breaking the moment their lips touched. They kissed passionately, emotions spilling over from both of them. The Doctor pulled his arm tight around her again and rolled them over, pressing into her. He was surprised when Rose pressed her hands into his chest, pushing him away. When he pulled back, Rose clapped a hand to her mouth and rushed to the toilet, making it just in time.

As he had the last time, the Doctor came in to be with her until she was finished, making her feel both grateful and self-conscious.

After she brushed her teeth, the two got back in bed in a mostly-sitting position.

"How long was I asleep?" asked Rose, taking note of the fact that it was light out.

"Twelve hours, thirteen minutes, forty-two seconds," he replied automatically.

"Blimey. What did I miss?" she asked. Before he could respond, a tiny, grey kitten jumped onto the bed and commenced purring, walking over to Rose. "Puff!" she exclaimed in delight as she picked up their new pet and cuddled her.

"Well," said the Doctor, reaching over to pet the kitten's head, "I came back because I was worried about you, so I didn't have time to help Glaat with his part. Hadn't even gotten to his cave, actually. However, I was able to clean Jack's wound and stop the bleeding, and he has enough mechanical know-how that he was able to install the coil for Glaat. Not that he did it nearly as quickly as I would have," he sniffed. "In fact, he took quite a while to return, and I may have worried if I weren't monitoring your heart rate and other vitals as best I could. When he got back, he had this little one in tow for us," the Doctor said, indicating the feline. "Glaat seems to have been able to take off successfully, and Jack called Torchwood to verify that he was able to leave planetary air space."

"I'm glad at all worked out," said Rose. "And Jack's gonna be alright, with the scratches and all?"

"Yup," said the Doctor, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he continued to stroke Puff gently with his other hand. "He seemed to be fully his normal, insatiable self."

Rose relaxed for a moment, comfortable and content.

"So," she asked, "when will we be able to find out whether our baby is a boy or a girl? I already know we are going to disagree on names, and there's no sense in arguing over all of them if we can get rid of half the possibilities."

"Welll," said the Doctor, "I suppose we can see whether we have a little Rochester or Gertrude at around twelve weeks or so, using Torchwood's scanners. They're not as advanced as as we will eventually have on the TARDIS, of course, but perhaps by the time you deliver, her infirmary will be fully functional."

"We are not using either of those names, Doctor," said Rose firmly before asking her next question, and he grinned in response. "So, other than Mum and Dad," she continued, "we need to wait a few months anyway before we let anyone know we're expecting, what with the longer pregnancy and all, right?"

"Right," he confirmed. Rose turned to look at him, the kitten purring more loudly as it fell asleep.

"I was thinking we could tell the family at Christmas. I mean, if that's okay with you," she said.

"Of course, Rose," he replied. "I've even got some ideas as to how to tell them. And nope," he said before she could ask, "you're not getting any details out of me yet." He kissed her forehead. "We might have to hide at home for the next week or two if you don't want them finding out early. Your nausea isn't likely to have improved much by then on its own, and I may or may not be too excited to keep it a secret properly."

Rose grinned. "If you can find a way to help me stop getting sick," she told him, "I'm quite certain we can find some ways to pass the time while we wait."

"Hmmm," said the Doctor speculatively scratching his chin, "I might be able to, ahem, rise to the challenge."

Rose laughed. "You've been spending too much time around Jack, Doctor."

O~O~O~O~O~O

After consulting with Jack and with Pete, plans were made to get everybody home. Deciding they were ready to get back home quickly so that they could check on the TARDIS sooner than later, or so they told Pete (the truth, but not the whole truth as Rose's nausea worsened), Rose and the Doctor had flights booked home for the same day. Not wanting to wait for a pet passport, the Doctor arranged for Jack to get Puff home for them.

"Now," said the Doctor as he finished tinkering with Jack's vortex manipulator, "this is only configured to transport you through space, not time, but it should transport you anywhere on Earth without much difficulty."

"Don't trust me with access to time travel, Doctor?" asked Jack.

"Not alone, no," said the Doctor, handing over the device. "You're welcome to join us in the TARDIS, though, once we've broken her in a bit."

"Yeah," Rose chimed in. "You have to come with us. You can be Uncle Jack."

"'Uncle Jack,' huh?" he said, chuckling. "I might like the sound of that."

"Tell me again why we can't all go with Jack right now?" Rose asked. "If it's safe for Puff, I mean, shouldn't it be okay for me, too?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Instantaneous travel while pregnant is dangerous," he explained, "more so the earlier it is in the pregnancy."

"Okay, ready to go," said Jack as he finished inputting the coordinates. Rose handed over the kitten, who was purring, as usual. "See you in a few hours," said Jack, adding in a mock salute to the Doctor before he flashed out of sight.

O~O~O~O~O~O

After a miserable (but uneventful) flight home, the Doctor rummaged through their lab and supplies while Rose rested, the kitten curled at her feet. When Rose woke a little later, the Doctor was bringing her tea.

"Hello," he said, beaming down at her and handing her the cup, which she took carefully. "This should greatly reduce your nausea," he explained, encouraging her to take a sip. She did and felt immediate relief. His smile grew even bigger.

"It's a peppermint tea with lemon, ginger, and a few other human anti-nausea remedies," he told her, "along with a few of the supplies I keep for myself. The taste might be rather on the unique end of the flavor spectrum, but it should keep your nausea manageable unless we encounter any more aliens for which the TARDIS decides to help translate. She'll definitely be ready by this time next year," he continued as she drank her tea, "so her translation circuits will develop enough soon that you shouldn't feel any additional dizziness when she helps."

Rose finished emptying her cup and set it down on the bedside table before turning back to the Doctor, her mood shifting considerably from where it had been when she was nauseated and exhausted.

"I think you mentioned something about a way to pass the time until Christmas," she said, taking his hand and pulling him onto the bed. Puff jumped down, tiny tail flicking at having been disturbed, and wandered out of the room.

"Well, technically," the Doctor replied, unbuttoning his shirt, "I think you were the one who mentioned it."

"You're right, Doctor," she said, pulling him down for a kiss. "Do you think you're up for it anyway?"

The Doctor eagerly proved that he was, and he repeated the process many times over the following weeks as the Doctor and his Rose started adjusting to the transition from couple to family.

* * *

_The end! I hope you liked it :) I again spelled something out with the first letter of the chapter titles; I just couldn't resist!_

_Reviews!_

_britgirlatheart: Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews! I eagerly awaited your comments after every chapter I posted :) Over on Teaspoon, it's more clear that this is a series, but I'll adjust my summaries on here before my next post to make it clearer._

_For everyone else who taken the time to review previous chapters, and for everyone who will take the time to review in the future, thank you. Thank you, too, for the people who made it this far in my story, regardless of whether you left a review. I appreciate you all :)_


End file.
